Layoffs Hit NBC Sports

NBC Universal is currently restructuring the company’s operations, and with that news has comes a pair of announcements of longtime writers that they are no longer with the company. Craig Calcaterra and Rob Dauster, who both spent about a decade writing Hardball Talk and College Basketball Talk, respectively, announced the news today:

Some personal news: After 11+ years at NBC, @HardballTalk is officially no more and I'm out with it. I want to thank @NBCSports for a hell of a ride and HBT readers for riding along.

My ride's not over, though. Updates soon, but you're not rid of my opinions just yet.

— Craig Calcaterra (@craigcalcaterra) August 3, 2020

Ten years ago, NBC Sports took a shot on me when I was nothing more than a bartender with a blog. It was a fun decade, and we did some really great things there, but COVID has come for me. Today was my last day running CBT. I was laid off this morning.

Anyone hiring?

— Rob Dauster (@RobDauster) August 3, 2020

It has been a brutal few months in digital sports media, as every company in America grapples with coronavirus — and it wasn’t exactly boom times in this industry before that. Hopefully, Calcaterra and Dauster will land on their feet sooner than later.

UPDATE: Sara Perlman of the show The Daily Line also announced that her time with NBC Sports has come to an end:

Thank you for everything @NBCSports ♥️ pic.twitter.com/0aKRhQomWF

— Sara Perlman (@saraperlman) August 3, 2020

And the writer Bill Baer:

Like @craigcalcaterra, I am now a free agent. I have only good things to say about my time at @NBCSports. They treated me well and I am so proud to have worked for them. I feel like all of us did incredible work there that not a lot of other places were doing.

— Bill Baer (@Baer_Bill) August 3, 2020

And college football writer Bryan Fischer:

Like many of my colleagues at NBC Sports, I was given the ol pink slip today. Sad that @CFTalk is no more but had a blast with John, @KevinOnCFB and @zach_barnett

— Bryan Fischer (@BryanDFischer) August 3, 2020

Update: Unfortunately, the news on NBC Sports layoffs has extended from Monday into Tuesday. The Chicago Tribune reports that NBC Sports Chicago is heavily scaling back on its original programming outside of airing Bulls, Blackhawks, and White Sox games — with that news, hosts host Leila Rahimi and Laurence Holmes are out, and the Chicago sportswriter roundtable talk show “Sports Talk Live” has been canceled.

Chad Finn of the Boston Globe reports it is going to be really bad at NBC Sports Boston too:

NBC Sports has been making mass digital and regional layoffs the past two days, and they have hit NBC Sports Boston hard today. Confirming names, but hear in upwards of 20 people, including on-air and behind-the-scenes talent.

— Chad Finn (@GlobeChadFinn) August 4, 2020

More departure announcements are coming out:

Some tough news to share… #2020GoAway pic.twitter.com/lzV3TVNqhd

— Kelli Johnson (@KJohnsonNBCS) August 4, 2020

Some personal news. Everything’s okay though. pic.twitter.com/gaNTNS54HU

— Michael Piff (@Mike_PiFF03) August 4, 2020